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Testimonials

I am pleased to write this letter of support for Friends of the Shenandoah River....with which I have cooperated for nearly two decades.
....having the Friends on our campus is like having an additional member of the natural sciences faculty.
The Smith-Endicott laboratory is certified....by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This recognition allows the use of FOSR data for regulatory purposes, including the listing and delisting of water bodies that have been designated as....impaired.... The FOSR’s facility is the only EPA-certified lab in the entire Chesapeake Bay region that is run by a volunteer non-profit organization.
....the Friends of the Shenandoah River publishes its findings periodically and provides them without charge to the DEQ, local and regional decision makers and members of the public.
Additional funding would help the Friends reach its full potential as an organization, building on three decades of research, monitoring and public education. I am pleased to endorse their efforts.

Woodward S Bousquet, Professor of Environmental Studies and BiologyShenandoah University

The goal of FOSR’s summer E. coli testing project is to provide frequent, real-time accredited E. coli concentration results for river recreation users to make their own informed decision about potential associated health risks when recreating in the areas of the river tested.

If fecal coliformis detected in the water, it indicates that there was recent fecal contamination in the water systems. Detection of E. coli bacteria in the water indicates recent fecal contamination as well as a possible presence of other disease-causing microorganisms or pathogens. As the level of E. coli bacterium increases the potential health risk from exposure to pathogenic organisms also increases.

Signs and symptoms of exposure to waterborne diseases may include;

Gastrointestinal illnesses such as

gas

abdominal cramping

diarrhea

nausea, which may result in vomiting

loss of appetite

Urinary tract infections

Respiratory infections

Conjunctivitis (pink eye)

Exposure to open wounds by the waterborne pathogens can cause infections of the wound that may result in extended, and sometimes painful, healing time.

In rare causes developing a life-threatening form of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome

In mild to moderate cases, one may not associate their symptoms with recent water related recreational activities especially if the symptoms do not manifest until three or four days later. Also, not all people will be affected to the same degree; young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk of experiencing illness and more serious complications caused by harmful E. coli bacteria and associated pathogens.